Show Review- Phenomenauts

So this is a ridiculously late show review for the show the Phenomenauts played at Reggies in Chicago on the 23rd of August. I know, I know, I'm terrible. It's been really busy lately and I had so many awesome things I wanted to say about the show that I didn't sit down and blog it. The openings bands were just fine but I really don't remember what they were called or much about them. The first band wasn't great but the rest were average to good, just nothing memorable. Plus I attended the show with friends who smoke and since it's no longer allowed in public buildings in Chicago we had to go outside fairly frequently during the opening acts.
Reggies isn't the greatest place for a show like this. The Phenomenauts have been known to draw pretty large audiences and this tiny space didn't allow for a lot, but still it was way more empty than I would have expected.
The band opened with lots of theatrics, lights, fog and amazing sound. They pulled out their famous toilet paper gun at one point, although they didn't use many of their normal props and theatrics given the limited space. They had amazing energy and put a lot into the show which I thought was great, trying their best to get the audience involved. The fans were pretty rabid, all things considered, with a few hardcore fans shelling out ridiculous amounts for jackets and hoodies and singing along with every lyric. Despite not having many of the original members of the band left they kicked ass, although I really would have loved to have heard Tiny Robots live. After the show we talked to a few band members and they were great- really friendly and concerned about the fans.
Altogether a really good time, and an amazing live show. They are just as good live as on their cds and that is rarely the case for most bands.

Perfumes I like

Wow if it wasn't for testers I think I would be lost when it comes to perfumes... there are so many there right now and I find that I'm about equally turned on and turned off to them. Half the time I will love something right away and the other half be disgusted or wonder who would want to smell like that.
Some fruit perfumes smell good but for the most part I can't understand wanting to smell like food. I'm usually drawn to more light, girly scents or flower smells. I also prefer some more musky smells if they are not too strong.
I would have to say right now my favorites are Ralph Lauren Cool for Women and something from Zumiez (wish I could remember what). Day to day I love the Sexiest Fantasies smells, the purple and blue ones which I love to layer together.
I was amazed (and amused) to find this list of unique fragrances here: fun perfume. Check it out for a laugh or for a unique scent or gift. I'm definitely ordering some!

Zombie Con 2009

An upcoming Milwaukee horror convention, Zombie Con will focus on the zombie side specifically! It's going to take place at the Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel & Convention Center on October 10th and 11th. So far the lineup could be better in my opinion. Big name and excellent actor Sid Haig will be in attendance and it's almost worth the $35 ticket price just to see him alone. The couple other people I would be at all excited to meet are the woman who played the zombie girl in the original Night of the Living Dead and the man who played the first Jason in Friday the 13th. I'm hoping more guests will be announced in the coming months to make the event more exciting and worthwhile. I'm also looking forward to seeing what other events will be confirmed. Tattoo contests, costume contests and film screenings are always fun. I'll update again when more information comes out.

Album Review- Psycho Ward Vol. 2

This is one of my absolute favorite albums at the moment for several reasons, not the least of which is that it features a great song by one of my favorite bands at the moment, Goddamn Gallows. I saw them last year and have been hooked ever since. The song, Everybody Dies, is constantly stuck in my head. The entire cd is great though, and a very good mix of Rockabilly and Psychobilly. Other really standout tracks to me are Alcohol King by the Starlight Wranglers, Til Death Do Us Part by Sik Luv, Sniffin' Glue by Twistin Tarantulas and Bloodfeast by Pickled Punx. There is very little filler and I was happy to see that most of this compilation featured less well-known bands. Most people into the music would probably already have songs by the better known bands on some album at home so I really appreciated that there were very few of the bigger name bands on this disk at all. Of course I couldn't complain that Phenomenauts, Phantom Rockers and Rocketz and Calavera were featured. I highly recommend getting this disk. It hasn't left my player in a few weeks.

Koffin Kats Tour Dates

The Koffin Kats have announced the tour dates for their upcoming US tour. They are as follows:

Aug 29 2009 8:00P
Smalls (All Ages) WAYNOPALOOZA V Hamtramck, Michigan

Sep 12 2009 3:00P
Amity Lanes/ North East Psychobilly Showdown Woodbridge, Connecticut

Sep 17 2009 8:00P
Mac’s Bar Lansing, Michigan

Sep 20 2009 8:00P
Beachland Ballroom (tavern)- ALL AGES Cleveland, Ohio

Sep 25 2009 8:00P
Central Space (ES Jungle) Indianapolis, Indiana

Sep 27 2009 8:00P
Reggie’s Rock Club Chicago, Illinois

Sep 29 2009 9:00P
The Annex- 18+ Madison, Wisconsin

Oct 3 2009 8:00P
The Firebird St. Louis, Missouri

Oct 4 2009 8:00P
Jerry’s Bait Shop Kansas City, Kansas

Oct 10 2009 8:00P
The Grail Couer d’ Alene, Idaho

Oct 17 2009 8:00P
Arcata Theatre Arcata, California

Oct 17 2009 8:00P
Studio 7 Seattle, Washington

Oct 18 2009 8:00P
Fire Escape (ALL AGES) Citrus Heights, California

Oct 19 2009 8:00P
The Blue Lagoon Santa Cruz, California

Oct 31 2009 8:00P
TBA Las Vegas, Nevada

Nov 5 2009 8:00P
Club Vegas Salt Lake City, Utah

Nov 7 2009 8:00P
The Juggernaut Gallup, New Mexico

Nov 10 2009 8:00P
No man’s Land El Paso, Texas

Nov 11 2009 8:00P
White Rabbit (ALL AGES) San Antonio, Texas

Nov 12 2009 8:00P
Metropolis Mc Allen, Texas

Nov 13 2009 8:00P
House of Rock Corpus Christie, Texas

Nov 14 2009 8:00P
Walter’s on Washington Houston, Texas

Nov 18 2009 8:00P
Side Stage Tulsa, Oklahoma

Nov 22 2009 8:00P
The Muse Nashville, Tennessee

Nov 23 2009 8:00P
Atomic Rocket Lounge Columbia, Tennessee

Nov 25 2009 8:00P
The Nick Birmingham, Alabama

Nov 26 2009 8:00P
Sluggo’s Pensacola, Florida

Nov 27 2009 8:00P
Churchills Miami, Florida

Nov 28 2009 8:00P
Pastimes Pub (TBC) Sarasota, Florida

Nov 29 2009 8:00P
Odins Den (TBC) Orlando, Florida

Nov 30 2009 8:00P
Jackrabbits Jacksonville, Florida

More will likely be announced later.

Book Review- Deathrow

This book is awesome for fans of psychobilly. It's a great read all the way through as well as being easy to pick up, flip to a page and skim through it.
The book isn't a traditional book but a compilation of issues of a psychobilly fanzine. It was actually compiled by Alan Wilson of the Sharks, who ran the original fanzine, Deathrow.
The book has a little of everything- interviews with bands and band members, rumors, show and album reviews, amusing anecdotes and much more. There are many pictures, unfortunately they have the quality of a photocopied fanzine.
Read straight through some of the reviews get tedious after a while but it is an extremely enjoyable, interesting and informative book about psychobilly.

Album Review- Dying Breath by Coffin Draggers

I know this is an older album (2007) but since it never really leaves my head I felt the need to review it. The entire album is really good, with the tracks Voodoo Doll and the hidden track really standing out to me. For fans of Rockabilly and Psychobilly I would definitely recommend checking it out. I don't run into many people who have this album or even know of the band which is a shame. The album does have some goth influence which I usually try to keep out of my psychobilly but the Coffin Draggers pull it off really well and created a memorable album.

Album Review- 21st Century Breakdown

I'll start by saying that Green Day can pretty much do no wrong in my book. Not all albums are equal, but I've found something to like in all of them so far. 21st Century Breakdown was no different, offering a variety of tracks that mainly reminded me of American Idiot. While there were only a couple tracks that really stood out to me as memorable, the entire album was pretty good and at least definitely worth adding to your collection.

Show Review- Choptops

Another great rockabilly band plays Chicago! The Choptops played the Bottom Lounge on June 25th to a pretty full room. They played with Tracer Bullets, one of the highlights of the evening, The Gravetones and The Strikers.
This was the second time I'd seen Tracer Bullets and both times I was really impressed with their musical ability, especially the saxophone which really added to the band significantly. I definitely recommend seeing them.
I'm not as impressed with the Gravetones as most others, local band or not. I can't get into their music, the lyrics don't amuse me and I spent most of their set hanging out in the bar area with friends.
The Strikers were good but didn't really stand out as anything special, despite some obvious musical ability.
Finally, the Choptops did not disappoint. The crowd could have been more involved but it was a great show, they played fast and hard and put on a good show. The only thing I really took some objection to was the preaching. I defintely get their message and why they said the things they said, but it came off as somewhat hypocritical. They can't say that it is all about the music and not about the fashion when they are wearing what could be a standard rockabilly/psychobilly uniform. I do appreciate their telling the crowd not to judge others on looks, I'm just not sure what makes them the authority.
But I was very impressed by their music, which, after all, was what I went there for.

The Brains

The Brains won't be playing Chicago on June 18th because they weren't able to get their work permit in the US. This was the show that I most wanted to see this summer because of the Brains. I love all the bands playing and would love to see the Creepshow at some point but it just isn't worth it to go if the Brains aren't playing.

Show Review- Creepin' Cadavers

This show was in Milwaukee, at this little bar called Frank's Power Plant. The band is a psychobilly band out of Massachusetts. I'd never actually heard of them before but the cover was cheap and we needed to get out of the house and have some fun so we went. One note before I get to the band, the rockabilly/ psychobilly people in Milwaukee seem a lot nicer than the ones in Chicago.
We had an awesome time, talking to the band before the show and admiring the bright green standup bass.
When the band started playing they blew us away with their energy and performance. They are all amazing musicians and the drummer especially impressed me. They did an awesome Misfits cover and some really great original tracks that did make me want to buy their album. The band got the crowd involved in their set, left the stage and played up on the pool table and the bar and generally kept us entertained with their antics.
All in all it was a great show and a lot of fun and we will definitely be checking them out again when they come back to town.

Album Review- The Road to Arkham

The Road to Arkham by the Arkhams is one of my absolute favorite psychobilly albums around. This isn't a new album, but most people I talk to haven't even heard of the Arkhams, much less this album. I think almost every track on the album stands out as good, if not great and there are a few very catchy tracks. I highly recommend this album to any fans of psychobilly.

Summerfest 2009

Will be awesome this year. They have some great bands playing including Rancid, Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphys, the Tossers, G. Love & the Special Sauce and Joan Jett. Finally some good music!

Show Review- Hillbilly Hellcats

Wow... where to start. I went to see the Hillbilly Hellcats play at the Horseshoe in Chicago on May 23rd. We got there late and were worried we would only make it for a couple songs but to our surprise and delight they were just finishing their first of three sets. For a free show (donations only) I can't believe how much the band put into it. You can tell they are in it for the love of the music and that was obvious throughout the night.
It was my second time seeing them and I thought they played better this time. The singer was the same but the new bass player and drummer did make a lot of difference. For having only played together for a short time they were amazing. I loved that the drummer played most of the songs sitting down but stood up for all of the Stray Cats covers.
I was also surprised that the band seemed apologetic for playing originals and didn't expect people to know them. All I can say is that they are an amazing band and should we WAY more famous and successful than they are.

Show Review- The Quakes

The Quakes played Reggies in Chicago in an awesome show on May 9th. The opening bands were Boneyard Brawlers, Pearls Mahone and the One-Eyed Jacks, Curtains and Three Blue Teardrops, all out of Chicago. I didn't get there in time to see Boneyard Brawlers but I'm sure they were good as always. Pearls Mahone touches my heart with her amazing voice... I have no love for the Curtains but they seem to be improving.
Three Blue Teardrops is one of the better known Rockabilly bands out of Chicago and they were phenomenal. The guitar playing was unreal and the crowd really got into it.
The Quakes of course were the many reason most of us were there and they didn't disapoint. They played with incredible energy and stage presence and seemed to really be enjoying themselves, rather than just trying to use up their time on stage. I was very impressed with the drummer who put a lot of energy and charisma into the show, along with undeniable talent.
They played some new songs and old favorites. I was hoping for Throw it All Away and Living on Planet 9 but was very happy they played my favorite, and probably their best known song, USA Psychos. Probably the song they played the best was Send Me An Angel, which was amazing live.
It was definitely a show I would have been very sorry to have missed.

Show Review- Mad Sin

This is a show review for Mad Sin in Chicago on the 4th of May. First, the other bands that played were the Nuke Mutes, the Gravetones and the Boneyard Brawlers. Having seen all these bands before the only one I wanted to subject myself to again was Boneyard Brawlers so I stayed outside in the bar area of the Bottom Lounge and talked with friends until the Boneyard Brawlers went on. As usual, they kicked ass! It still amazes me that the drummer is also the singer. That takes talent. I was somewhat sad to see that they have a different bass player from the last time though. He is a great bass player but does not compare to their original bassist.
Finally it was time for Mad Sin (German Psychobilly) to play. Well we had a huge disappointment when it turned out that their singer had been hospitalized and would not be at the show. We were concerned and saddened because this meant that they could only do a handful of songs without him, and besides Koefte (the singer) literally adds a huge presence to the show. They still rocked it out and performed great. Wow what amazing musicians. The bass player blew me away and his voice was also way above average. I was happy to see that the crowd still got into it and there was a fair amount of wrecking going on.
After the show we talked briefly with the drummer who assured us that Koefte's condition was not life threatening but he would have to remain in the hospital at least one more night.
It was a great show but I feel like I didn't get to see the "real" Mad Sin so I'll definitely be looking out for them to play in this area again.

Album Review- The Brains

The Brains, a Psychobilly band out of Montreal, just released their third album this month. The self-titled album is 11 tracks of psychobilly goodness. Although it isn't as good as their second album, Hell N Back, which featured some of the most memorable new psychobilly songs such as More Brains, Scream for Me, Lost and Blood, it is a solid album with some great tracks. The energy on the album is really good, the lyrics are their usual brand of zombies, blood and similar subjects.
The third track, Dead to Me, features Sarah Sin from the Creepshow and is a great song. Her voice really adds to to singer Rene's already amazing voice. It is definitely worth getting, but while you're at it pick up a copy of their second album (which also includes their first album) if you don't already have it.
As a huge fan of the Brains I wasn't let down by this newest addition. They are also planning a US tour this summer to look out for them coming to your city.

Battle Royale- Book vs. Movie

Well to start with- I love both! Many people have compared them to Lord of the Flies. I really don't see it. They both involve children on an island but to me that's where the comparison stops. The feeling and intent behind Battle Royale is very different from Lord of the Flies. Battle Royale deals with issues of facism, government control and horror. Lord of the Flies is a much more psychological book, dealing with survival and basic human nature.
The movie does change a lot of details and a few small timelines from the book but most stuff is very similar. I actually saw the movie first, so when I read the book I kept waiting for the story line where the instructor who is running the game interacts with Noriko... but that wasn't in the book. I was hoping that it would be explained better in the book.
They are very similar in general. The book includes a lot more sordid details- how some of the girls prostitute themselves or the criminal activities of some of the other participants.
Definitely read the book if you love the movie! And watch the movie if you love the book.

Welcome to my blog

I have many many interests and lots of opinions and I'm here to express them!